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Danilov-coached Memorial team is God-fearing squad
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Campbell's Jerah'me Williams drives past Blair Williamks of Liberty
The Red Devils have played several national powerhouses, but they’re not done yet — the mightiest is yet to come
CAMPBELL — So far, Campbell Memorial High’s boys basketball team has beaten teams such as New Castle Union, Lakeview and Struthers and lost to teams such as Cardinal Mooney.
Nothing inordinate.
Throw games against Mountain State Academy of West Virginia and Largo High School of Maryland in the mix and the Red Devils’ season gains some stature.
But did Campbell coach Brian Danilov ever expect to be facing God’s Academy?
“It’s like a junior college,” Danilov said of the prep school in Dallas that the Red Devils will face Saturday (8 p.m.) at the Dunkin Donuts Shootout in Lexington, Ky.
“It’s a one-day shootout showcase-type of thing,” Danilov said.
Campbell’s lineup of mostly juniors and sophomores will be facing a lineup of post-high school players, including 6-foot-3 point guard KC Ross Miller, who has signed with the University of Kentucky.
“Their people want to see him,” Danilov said of Miller’s appearance for the benefit of UK faithful in the Lexington area.
The point guard is one of four Division I recruits from God’s Academy (17-2). Two others are 6-8 forwards Josten Thomas and 6-10 center Waverly Austin.
Campbell’s first exposure against big schools on the road came over the Christmas break when the Red Devils lost twice against formidable opponents in the Ironton Classic in southern Ohio.
Campbell (4-3) lost to Mountain State, 90-65, and Largo of Upper Marlboro, Md. — the state’s Class AAA defending champion, 69-58.
“They had two kids from Turkey, one from Angola, a couple from California and some from D.C. and New York and their point guard already signed with West Virginia,” Danilov said of Mountain State Academy.
“We hung with them for 21‚Ñ2 quarters, then had a couple injuries and they pulled away,” Danilov said. “Then we played the defending AAA champions in Maryland. It was a six-point game, but we lost on the foul line.”
Campbell got the opportunity to enter the Shootout when a school dropped out.
Through some contacts, Danilov got his Red Devils into the Ironton Classic.
“They have a small enrollment, but nobody wanted to play them,” Danilov said of Mountain State Academy, basically a basketball school.
“I said, ‘We’ll play them.’ It just happened that, the next night, we had to play Maryland’s defending AAA champ. Someone told me, ‘Either you’re pretty good or someone doesn’t like you.’ I thought, ‘I hope we come to play or it could be ugly.’ ”
Danilov expects his squad to see more of the same type of physically dominant players in God’s Academy.
“We don’t see this type of talent, so it’s nice to play teams from other parts of the country,” Danilov said of such excursions and encounters.
“You never know how kids will react to a 6- to 7-hour trip, then how they’ll play against teams that are accustomed to these shootouts.”
The coach said the margin for error is minute.
“A couple turnovers here and there or a couple missed shots and that’s it, the game’s over.”
The downside is that such talent exposes weaknesses.
“We proved that we can compete, but then we come back to this area and it’s like a roller-coaster. We need leadership. If we take the same mental approach and focus [have no empty possessions] and apply that to every game, we’d be a much better team.”
The upside of playing national powerhouses is that Campbell’s players get valuable exposure.
“It enables my kids to be seen by college coaches, who might get them in a school somewhere.”
Campbell’s lineup includes Jerah’me Williams (5-9 Jr.), Lester Hughes (6-2 So.), Nate Hodge (6-2 Jr.), Dorian Jones (5-9 Sr.), Claxton Lebron (6-0 So.) and John Sikora (5-8 So.).
“I got a team full of guards and a couple forwards,” Danilov said. “Sometimes, I’ve got five guards on the floor.”
Jones is the only senior who lettered last year.
“The others are either new to the program or played JV ball,” he said.
Speed and quickness are team strengths, but players have worked to develop the level of their passing, dribbling and shooting skills.
“My kids are committed to getting better,” said Danilov, whose staff includes his father, Eli; Anthony Venable; Damon Williams; Kevin Douglas; Tim Matune; Jim Nail; George Sims; and Pano Hazimihalis.
bassetti@vindy.com